Physiology of Mycorrhizal Relations in Plants

Abstract

For a deeper insight into the physiology of mycorrhizal relations it is necessary to investigate not only the mycorrhizal associations but also their associate partners. Although mycorrhizae occur in most higher plants, their physiology has been studied extensively only in orchids and some forest trees. Since 1936, when Burgeff (15a) published his last work on the mycorrhizal relationships in orchids, only a few contributions concerning this subject have appeared. Recent investigations have been limited largely to the ectotrophic and ectendotrophic mycorrhizae in forest trees. The earlier literature concerned with studies on mycorrhizal relations in plants has been reviewed comprehensively by Rayner (106) and Hatch (43). A general review of these problems was recently written by Kelley (48) while Harley has reviewed some aspects of ectotrophic mycorrhizae (38) and of endotrophic mycorrhizae (39), respectively.